Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

do, it is as if Ophelia cannot leave Polonius’ side. She clings to him tightly. After Claudius gives a speech,
Laertes asks permission to leave for France. Polonius’ opinion on the situation is then requested. At that
point, Polonius must leave Ophelia for a moment. When he does, Gertrude quickly walks over to her.
The characters seem to assume that Ophelia cannot be left alone on stage. Someone must always be with
her. This shows that the director sees Ophelia as an immature child. Other directors give Ophelia more
independence in the opening of the play. For example, Franco Zeffirelli allows Ophelia to move about
without anyone by her side in his version of the play (Hamlet). Later on in the scene, Ophelia attempts to
move toward Hamlet. Her action here shows that she does have some kind of a relationship with him.
However, before she can reach him, Laertes thwarts her attempt and pulls her away. If Ophelia had a truly
meaningful relationship with Hamlet, she would not allow Laertes to interrupt her action. Instead, Ophelia
joins her father and brother in enjoying the celebration. She dances around, giggling as the party proceeds.
In other presentations of the play, Ophelia has a much stronger relationship with Hamlet. Zeffirelli features
an Ophelia character who thinks for herself (Hamlet). She listens to Polonius and Laertes but does not
agree with their opinions of Hamlet’s true feelings. During Noble’s opening scene, a serious expression
does not appear on the young girl’s face. This makes Ophelia appear immature and inexperienced in regard
to the world (Noble).
In Act One, Scene Three, Ophelia’s costume and surroundings remain childlike while Noble
reveals a strong bond between Polonius and Ophelia. This scene opens into Ophelia’s room. She sits at the
piano and plays a cheerful song. As she does so, Ophelia wears a white dress with black boots. The dress is
not form-fitting, but rather loose and flowing. With her “pure” colored costume and her long hair, Ophelia
appears to be much younger than she is in reality. Innocence radiates from the stage where Ophelia sits. If
she never spoke, this character could easily fit the description of an angel. In the middle of the stage, there
is a small bed covered in a decorative blanket. The sheer size of the bed indicates that Ophelia is young.
She sleeps on a mattress smaller than a twin size. In comparison, Gertrude’s bed is more than twice the size
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